When Chris Moore has free time, his favorite place to go in the Atlanta area isn’t Turner Field or Piedmont Park — it’s home.       

“I spend so much time on campus that when I have time off, I just want to head to my home in Alpharetta,” said Moore, director of athletic bands and an assistant professor at Georgia Tech.

In addition to his full-time teaching load, Moore works with the band in the afternoons, practicing three days a week for sometimes more than two hours at a time.

“Of course, Saturdays are also work days for us,” he added. “I think the only athletic team that we haven’t played for is golf, so we are constantly supporting some sporting event.”
Recently, The Whistle had an opportunity to learn more about Moore and his time at Tech. Here’s what he said:

Tell us how you progressed to your current position.
I studied music in college, so I always knew that I’d be performing or teaching. First, I taught high school and ended up as director of instrumental music at Marist School. Then, I became assistant band director at Tech. In 2002, when the former band director retired, I became director.

What are a few things that most people don’t know about your job?      
Practically every day I get to work with students representing every major. Also, the athletic band is one of the most visible groups on campus. We play at everything from the president’s dinners to alumni events.

What do you enjoy most and least about your job?  
I love that I get to work with students who really enjoy music — they’re in band because they want to be. The difficult part is that the space where we practice is in a former elementary school that was built in 1929 and is not large enough for the band to fit into one room. But, we find a way to make it work.

Name a professional accomplishment you are proud of.
In composing and arranging music, I have been fortunate to work with many local and national musicians and once worked with jazz artist Wynton Marsalis on a few pieces for the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic.

What piece of technology could you not live without?
My iPad. All of our music and formations for the half-time shows are on it. Not to mention, we regularly use apps for metronomes, tuners and other purposes.

What is the best place to grab lunch, and what do you order?
I think it was Junior’s, and I’d get the chicken tenders.

What are a few nonwork accomplishments you’re most proud of?
I am very proud of my family and the fact that I still play in my own  band. I play with a group called “Legacy,” and we do everything from R&B to rock.

Tell us something unusual about yourself.
In high school, I was in the same homeroom as Ty Pennington (host of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition) and played in a band with country music star Travis Tritt.